India: USGBC and TERI Promise to Take Green Buildings to The Next Level

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and the US Green Building Council (USGBC) have entered into a strategic collaboration to accelerate the development of high performance buildings in India and Southeast Asia. Developing a sustainable approach to the built environment is not only a global issue, but also a major concern for developing countries. TERI’s Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) and USGBC’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) have partnered to promote the best of global and Indian practices to ensure efficiency of design, construction and operation of high performance buildings. GRIHA has created locally relevant and technologically advanced mechanisms, which is crucial in regionalising LEED in India and Southeast Asia.Dr R K Pachauri, Director-General, TERI, said, “Several studies have estimated that most of the buildings projected to be standing in 2030 in India have yet to be built. The demand for energy, water and other inputs for these buildings and those that already exist will be staggering. Designing and constructing “green” buildings would ensure that India, and the world, do not get locked into a pattern of resource use intensity that would be unsustainable for a variety of reasons. TERI and USGBC share common goals in promoting green buildings round the world.”Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, US Green Building Council, added, “Implementing a more sustainable approach to the built environment is a global imperative, but nowhere is its impact more critical than in developing countries. This partnership between USGBC and TERI promises to take green buildings to the next level in India and across Southeast Asia. India is already the third largest market for LEED outside the US, and USGBC is committed to bringing our resources to advance more rapid adoption of green building practices.”The partnership comes on the heels of last month’s announcement from USGBC regarding its expansion of support for LEED in India.“GRIHA has pioneered a regional rating system that addresses the environmental impacts of the construction sector in India. It was further modified and adopted by the Ministry as a benchmark for sustainable buildings within India. We applaud these extraordinary achievements and greatly look forward to advancing this regional system with our global rating system as both parties seek to transform the built environment into one that includes the most sustainable, safest and healthiest buildings for all,” said Scot Horst, Senior Vice President, LEED, USGBC.